Shelby County family on the mend after dealing with flu and RSV

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) -With flu and RSV cases on the rise, a family in Shelby County is dealing with both viruses at the same time

For the past few weeks, the Bell family has been in and out of the doctor’s office dealing with flu and RSV which are running rampant right now in Alabama.

“I remember taking my son back to the doctor’s office a couple of times and it was standing room only,” Ashley Bell said.

It started with Bell’s husband getting the flu. Then her 7-year-old got RSV with all these symptoms.

“The headaches were nonstop,” Bell said. “I think we had a fever later on in the process but of course you had your runny nose, sore throat, coughing, congestion, and originally we treated it as a common cold.”

Her son also had to deal with a sinus infection.

Thankfully, Bell’s loved ones are now on the mend.

As we head more into fall and winter months, health experts say the flu, RSV and Covid-19 could create a “tripledemic” of respiratory diseases. Some doctors believe the viruses may be spreading earlier than usual right now due to a lot of people not being exposed to them over the past two years due to Covid restrictions in place.

“I think if you really want to tee up to be as protected as you can for this season—getting that covid booster as well as an influenza vaccine are probably your best bet,” Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo Director of UAB’s Infectious Diseases Division said.

If you feel like you’ve caught something, go ahead and get it checked. Good hand hygiene is also key as well as staying home from work or school if you are sick.

Bell tells us the past few weeks have been trying for her family. That’s why she’s encouraging everyone to do their part to try and slow down and stop the spread of these viruses.

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